Gotta Watch Them Chibis!
by Ixcalia
Summary: When a strange Arrancar appears and drains Ichigo of nearly all of his spiritual energy, all that remains of him is two children, the ones that were once Ichigo and his hollow. Zangetsu and a few others are left to watch after the two until they regain their energy. Besides, how much trouble could they possibly be? MY FIRST BLEACH STORY! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Alright, this is my first Bleach story! I just had to take the infamous chibi route here! XD I really hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

Brown eyes widened in shock, darting around desperately, trying to find a way to escape the black void that had enveloped him. Ichigo gritted his teeth, slashing at the wall of the void in vein. His entire body was starting to feel weak and his attacks were getting weaker.

"D-Dammit..." he hissed, falling to his knees, gasping for air. He felt like he was suffocating!

"Ichigo! You must get out! That Arrancar is draining all of your spiritual energy away!" Zangetsu called out, appearing in front of the exhausted teen. Ichigo gritted his teeth, looking over at his sword's spirit. He tried to push himself up, to no avail. "Ichigo!"

"Stupid King," his hollow's watery voice echoed in his head, but it sounded strained, exhausted. "You'll disappear...we'll both disappear at this rate! Fucking idiot!"

"J-Just...shut up..." he gasped out, closing his eyes tightly. His vision was blurring, his body felt heavy, and his head was spinning. There was nothing he could do. He was being sucked dry! "Z-Zan...getsu..."

Zangetsu stared at his master, eyes narrowing slightly. He cared for his master, almost like a son, and watching him fade away like this, by such a cowardly tactic...

"Hold on, Ichigo." But the teen was already unconscious. Zangetsu held his hand out, his sword appearing in his hand in a flash of light. He would have to be quick to destroy the void. Once he took his physical form, he would be affected, just like Ichigo, he imagined. "Bankai!"

* * *

Rukia and Renji were doing their best to hold off the strange Arrancar that had appeared in Soul Society. As soon as he had caught sight of Ichigo, he had trapped him inside the strange void, cackling and droning on about sucking the boy dry of all his spiritual energy. Honestly, Renji didn't know what the guy was talking about. But he was sure they had to get Ichigo free, as soon as possible.

"Zabimaru!" he cried, swinging the extended blade at the void, only for it to bounce back uselessly. "What the hell!?"

"Hah! You're too weak to break through!" The black haired Arrancar grinned darkly, gripping his sword and unsheathing it quickly. "Ichigo Kurosaki...I heard of the immense spiritual pressure he possessed, but this...this power is more than I ever imagined! It'll all be mine, in just a matter of seconds!"

"Let Ichigo free!" Rukia hissed, appearing in front of the Arrancar, only for the hollow to disappear from sight. "Sonido," she cursed softly, looking around warily. The hollow reappeared beside the void, staring in, his stormy grey eyes wide with apprehension and his grin widening. "Renji, get him!"

Renji gripped the hilt of his sword, snapping his extended weapon down like a whip, growling low in his throat when the Arrancar caught his sword without a problem. His eyes turned and narrowed, a black light forming between the deer-like antlers on his head. "A cero," Renji muttered, pulling Zabimaru back to him quickly. He flash-stepped away from the beam that was fired at him, nearly getting swept away by the aftershock of the attack. "This guy's strong...and his spiritual pressure...is it getting stronger?"

"You're catching on, Soul Reaper. Does it feel familiar, my spiritual pressure? It should," the hollow cackled, his eyes narrowing in dark amusement. "I'll be strong enough to kill all of you...!"

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The Arrancar turned quickly, eyes widening at the sight of a red and black beam breaking through the void. "Could Kurosaki have...? No. That wasn't him..."

"Ichigo!?" Rukia called, waiting for the smoke and debris to clear from the previous blast. That didn't sound like Ichigo though. It sounded more like..."Zangetsu?"

Zangetsu narrowed his eyes, looking up at the hollow that had nearly killed his wielder. Thankfully, he had broken through the death trap just in time to save what remained of Ichigo's spirit energy. It wasn't much, but it was enough to allow the boy to regain what was lost. With time, of course. Zangetsu shifted the weight under his free arm, glancing down at the two, still bodies he held.

"So you are Kurosaki's Zanpakto? And just what do you think you're doing saving him?" Zangetsu stared the hollow down, gently lowering the two bodies to the ground. "Oh? And who is the other boy?"

"None of your concern. I will not allow my wielder to die at the mercy of such a cowardly maneuver. You aren't fighting him, you're stealing his power away from him. Inexcusable."

With a blink of an eye, the black blade that was Tensa Zangetsu was run through the Arrancar's gut. Grey eyes widened in shock, and blood dripped from the hollow's mouth. "D-Damn you...how did you...m-move so fast...?" He knew the sword would not answer him. "Tch...don't think this is over, Zanpakto...there is still plenty of energy for me to have from your master..."

Zangetsu moved to grab the hollow, but he was already gone, disappearing in a flash of white. "Cursed hollow," he muttered, eyes narrowed in frustration. He would not allow him to get Ichigo again. Speaking of his wielder...Zangetsu moved over to where Rukia and Renji were looking over the orange haired boy.

"What happened to him? Is he...?" Renji raised an eyebrow, looking Ichigo over carefully.

"His body is just...that of a child," Rukia confirmed, looking at Zangetsu for an answer. "What happened in that void? What did that hollow do to Ichigo? And that other boy, is it...?"

"Ichigo's inner hollow, yes. That Arrancar drained the majority of Ichigo's spiritual energy and took it for himself. I imagine Ichigo's soul is only trying to adjust to the energy it has left. More so, I doubt he has the energy to sustain himself and his hollow, so his inner hollow was released and affected as well." Zangetsu moved over, picking up the two boys easily.

"We should take them to Squad 4. Captain Unohana may have a solution to get them back to normal," Renji said, motioning in the direction of the Squad 4 barracks.

"Let us go then."

* * *

Zangetsu watched the twins run around the koi pond, calling out back and forth, taunting each other into an endless game of tag. Captain Unohana had no way of helping them, unfortunately. The only other thing she was able to tell them was that she estimated their ages around five. More or less, the visit had been a waste. But they had taken her advice and gone, reluctantly, to Mayuri. The scientist had confirmed Zangetsu's previous theory, that Ichigo's soul was only taking on a form it could sustain for the time being, and once his spirit energy returned, he would return to normal. He was more interested in Ichigo's hollow, however, and Zangetsu was quick to leave, once the man mentioned something about a dissection.

It had taken two and a half days for the boys to wake up. Zangetsu wouldn't admit it to anyone out loud, but he had been worried for the two. But once they had woken up, they seemed well enough. They had no real memory to hang on to, but had known his name, or at least had called him 'ZanZan' right off the bat. They also seemed to have some familiarity with each other. Ichigo had called the hollow Shi-nii right away, Shi apparently short for Shiro. And Shiro returned it with Ichi-nii and the ever popular King. The hollow didn't seem to forget that little detail at all.

Zangetsu was happy that the two were getting along though. Maybe something good would come from this horrid experience.

"Shi-nii! You shouldn't get so close to the water!" Zangetsu looked up quickly, watching warily as Shiro knelt beside the pond and stared down one of the fish.

"Don't be so 'fraid King. I ain't gonna fall." Zangetsu sighed at the young hollow. He was more worried about the fish than he was the hollow. After all, Rukia had worked hard to get Byakuya's permission for them to stay for awhile, as the twins recuperated. But if they did something to his koi pond, Zangetsu feared for all of their safety.

Luckily, the fish darted deeper into the pond, much to Shiro's disappointment. "Stupid fish," he muttered, getting up and looking back at Ichigo. "I'm bored!"

"Well, whaddaya wanna do?" Ichigo asked, cocking his head slightly. Shiro shrugged his shoulders lazily, looking around the large yard curiously.

"I wish we could get outta here and explore. We've seen everything here. Its boring!" Shiro huffed, turning to their Zanpakto. "ZanZan! Can we go out of here?"

"Not right now." He closed his eyes, a slight smirk coming to his face at the whine that followed his answer. He never would've expected that sort of response from the hollow. "Eventually, Shiro, we will take you out. But you will have to be patient. You don't even have proper clothing."

It was true. Right now, the twins were wearing old, white shirts of Renji's that were many sizes too big and dragged on the ground. They had to cut the arms off and take a bit of length away, but it sufficed until they found better made clothing for the two. In fact, that's what Rukia had gone out for, in hopes of finding something that the two could wear around. And Renji had to go to some lieutenant meeting, leaving Zangetsu to watch the children.

"Not fair," Shiro muttered, but he didn't argue further. Instead, he moved over to Ichigo, who was now attempting to climb up the tree near the wall. Ooh, that gave Shiro an idea. With a grin, truly worthy of the hollow that he was, he began to scale the large tree, glancing back at Zangetsu occasionally. Ichigo sat on the lowest branch, watching him curiously.

"What're you doin'?" he whispered quietly. Shiro grinned, reaching down and pulling the orange haired boy up beside him.

"That branch goes over the wall! We're gonna go out and find somethin' new to do!" he explained, slowly scooting across the branch that led over the wall.

"But ZanZan said-"

"We're not gonna do anything bad. We'll be fine. We're just gonna explore!" Shiro eyed Ichigo, smiling smugly. "You 'fraid?"

"I'm not!" Ichigo huffed, following after his look alike quickly. Shiro smiled and climbed onto the wall, gripping the edges and lowering himself close to the ground before letting go and and falling the rest of the way.

"Hurry up!" he called, watching as Ichigo peeked over the wall warily. "Its not that long of a drop! I'll catch ya!"

"Yeah right," Ichigo muttered, but he followed his hollow's instruction, going down the same way he did. Surprisingly, his hollow did somewhat catch him, keeping him from falling on his face. "Thanks."

"Alright," the pale boy grinned, pointing ahead. "Let's go explore!"

* * *

Rukia carried a few bags out to the back yard, sitting them down heavily on the porch. "I'm back!" she called, looking around. She saw Zangetsu, but not Ichigo or Shiro. "Zangetsu, where are they!?" she cried, grabbing the Zanpakto's arm and shaking him.

Zangetsu's eyes snapped opened in surprise. He had fallen into a meditative state without realizing it. He had felt tired and peaceful, and just sort of drifted off. "Rukia?"

"Where are Ichigo and Shiro?!" she demanded. Zangetsu's eyes widened slightly and he looked around the yard. There was no trace of them. "You lost them? Do you know how hard it will be to find them out there? This place is huge! They could be anywhere!"

Zangetsu felt slightly ashamed. He should have kept a better watch, however, with Ichigo's spiritual pressure so low, it was difficult for him to keep his manifested form on his own. Usually he would borrow some energy from Ichigo to keep himself out for longer periods of time, but on his own, he was surprised he had sustained his form for this long. That would explain why he had felt so tired.

"I will go out and search for him. We will find them, so don't worry yourself." Zangetsu turned and moved to leave. Rukia huffed, but nodded her agreement. But it would take more than just the two of them...

* * *

Renji jumped in his chair, flushing when all eyes fell on him. He had forgotten to shut his ringer off when he had come to the meeting. "S-Sorry about that," he laughed nervously, pulling out his soul pager. "I have to take this."

He stepped away from the group and flipped the phone open. "What is it Rukia?"

"Renji, Ichigo and Shiro snuck away, and we need help finding them! We have no idea where they went off to!"

"What do you mean they 'snuck away'!? Wasn't Zangetsu watching them!? And do you know how hard it'll be to find those two out there with just the three of us!?" Renji cursed his luck. Sometimes, Ichigo was more trouble than he was worth!

"Don't you think I know that!? Maybe some of the lieutenants will help us?" she suggested, humming thoughtfully. They had originally agreed to keep quiet about the situation, but they would need all the help they could get.

"I...I suppose. I'll ask them and I'll go out and search as soon as I can!" He clicked his phone shut and turned back to the meeting room. Apparently the meeting was over, because only a few of the Lieutenants remained.

"What was that all about, Renji?" Izuru looked at the red-headed lieutenant curiously. So, maybe the few left had eavesdropped on the conversation, but they hadn't caught it all.

Renji rubbed his neck, eyeing the remaining lieutenants. Rangiku, Shuhei, Izuru, and Momo. He was silently glad it was just them. This group, he knew he could trust. "Look, I need your help with something. Its supposed to be kept quiet, so you can't go telling everyone about this."

All the lieutenants nodded their agreement, and Renji relayed the story about the mysterious Arrancar and what had become of Ichigo and his hollow. The four listened carefully, eyebrows raising at the knowledge that the two kids were now missing and they had to find them.

"I suppose it would be useless to try and sense their spiritual pressure, considering the circumstances," Shuhei frowned, crossing his arms.

"But they went missing around the Kuchiki Manor, right? We should start there and expand out. Two little kids couldn't have gone too far, right?" Momo smiled, trying to reassure Renji. "I'm sure they'll be fine Renji!"

"Momo's right. And knowing Ichigo, he's not the most tactful person. He'll probably stand right out in the crowd." Izuru gripped Renji's shoulder lightly. "Let's get going."

"Ooh, I can't wait to see the little cuties!" Rangiku squealed, before flash-stepping out of the meeting room.

* * *

Two hours. They had been searching for two freaking hours! Shuhei stopped on the roof of one of the building and examined the area. He knew it would be difficult, but this was ridiculous. How in the world two kids could get so far on their own, Shuhei didn't know. There hadn't even been any sightings reported!

Shuhei was ready to go search a different area when a sudden yell caught his attention. He turned his attention to the source of the yell, to find a couple of Soul Reapers, cursing, yelling, and raising their swords at...his eyes narrowed at the sight of two young boys; definitely Ichigo and his hollow.

"My pager's goin' nuts! Yeah, that one's definitely a hollow!" the brunette raised his sword, glaring down at Shiro. "Pretty pathetic one. Makes me almost feel bad that it looks like a kid!"

"A hollow's a hollow! We have to destroy it!" the black-haired Soul Reaper unsheathed his sword, narrowing his eyes. "It may look weak, but don't take it lightly."

Shiro was frowning, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed in thought. Were they calling him a hollow? Or Ichigo? What was a hollow anyway, and why were they pulling their swords on two kids? Ichigo tugged his arm lightly, eyes wide with fear.

"Shi-nii, we should go back now," he whispered, eyeing the two men. He cried out, startled when the brown haired man swiped his sword at them. Shiro shoved him away and stumbled away, barely dodging the sword.

"Tch, fast little bastard. How about this!" the black haired man did a sideways swipe with his sword, eyes widening slightly when his clashed with another. "What..!? L-Lieutenant Hisagi!"

Shuhei narrowed his eyes at the two, giving the black-haired Soul Reaper a swift kick in the gut, knocking him away hard. "Hollow or not, he's defenseless and hasn't caused any harm. So why are you attacking?"

"But sir, its our job! That's why we have patrols, isn't it?" the brunette quickly sheathed his weapon, swallowing thickly at the narrowed gaze that landed on him.

"Your job is to protect the Soul Society. But these children did nothing to threaten us. Now get out of here, before I decide to show you a real threat!" he snapped, watching in satisfaction as the two stumbled away down the street. He heard a soft sniff behind him and turned to the two kids.

Ichigo was trying to wipe away oncoming tears, holding his arm against himself, and sniffling softly. His white double was scowling after the two Soul Reapers, before getting up and checking on his twin. "Are you alright King?"

"That hurt," he whimpered, looking at his arm. It was bleeding just a little, nothing too deep. "Why'd they have to go and do that?" Shuhei watched the two, eyebrow raised. This was seriously Ichigo and his hollow? If it weren't for their appearance, he never would've known.

"Here." Shuhei knelt beside the two and tore a piece off of the overly long shirt that Ichigo wore. He tied it carefully around the cut, sighing heavily. "You know, the two of you have a lot of people looking for you. You shouldn't run off on your own like that. You could've gotten hurt."

"Who are you anyway?" Shiro asked, eyeing Shuhei suspiciously. Shuhei laughed under his breath.

"Shuhei. I'm a friend of Rukia and Renji. They asked us to help find the two of you." Shuhei looked at the two expectantly, satisfied at the guilty expressions. "Well, I hope you won't try it again."

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice called out from down the road. Her and the others were rushing towards them, looking relieved. Shuhei nodded, looking down at the orange-haired boy who was still sniffling pitifully.

Zangetsu stepped over, looking down at Shiro, his expression unreadable. Shiro squirmed under the stare. He still looked plenty guilty. Honestly, Zangetsu wasn't too mad. It was the hollow's nature to get into trouble, and it was how he learned. He knew the boy better than anyone. "Have you learned your lesson, Shiro?"

"Yes ZanZan," he mumbled softly, staring at the ground. Rukia and Renji were crowding around Ichigo, and a few new people were hovering over him as well. Shiro felt a little left out. "ZanZan? What's a hollow?"

Zangetsu looked down at the boy, frowning. "A hollow is a monster. Why do you ask?"

"Am I a hollow?" he asked quietly, kicking at the ground. That's what those men had called him, right? And no one seemed as fond of him as they did Ichigo. Maybe he was a monster?

Zangetsu hesitated, watching the boy, meeting his expectant gaze. What should he tell him? Shuhei cleared his throat, looking down at the pale boy.

"You're not a monster at all, kiddo. Don't let anyone tell you different. Those people that came after you weren't too smart is all." Shiro seemed to consider, before smiling slightly. It wasn't the cruel or manic smile that Zangetsu was used to. It was an actual, sincere smile.

"Okay then," he nodded, happy with the answer. He pushed through the crowd of people and over to Ichigo, huffing at the soft little hiccups coming from the boy. "You still cryin' King?"

"S-Shut up," Ichigo whimpered, watery eyes glaring up at the other, its intensity half-hearted. Shiro stuck his tongue out, but sat beside the sniffling boy, his arm wrapping around his shoulder.

"What happened Ichigo?" Rukia asked, lightly patting the boy's head. Man, this was awkward, she thought. She was used to being rough on the teen she had come to know, not being so loving towards him. She felt like a mother.

"I hurt my arm," he mumbled. "These scary men tried to hurt us, and Shiro had to push me away so I didn't get hurt, but I fell and hurt my arm."

"Oh? Let me see." Rukia took his arm lightly, and kissed the injury lightly, much like she had seen a mother do for her son back in the world of the living. "Better?"

Ichigo stared, before a wide, happy grin broke out over his face. He nodded his head quickly, looking at Shiro, his eyes now dry. The Soul Reapers stared in astonishment. That smile was something they had never seen from Ichigo before. The boy gripped Shiro's hand and pulled him over to Zangetsu, gripping the Zanpakto's coat and tugging lightly.

"ZanZan? We're really hungry! Can we eat?" Zangetsu looked down at the two, nodding his head slightly.

"Oh, they're so cute," Rangiku hummed, kneeling beside the two. "How about we take you out to get something? There's plenty of good places to eat around here."

"Oh boy," Rukia muttered, eyes narrowing at the group of lieutenants. "Fine, but no sake!" The lieutenants all groaned, but reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Zangetsu sat in the corner of the tavern, watching the two kids eat their fill. Apparently Rukia, Renji, and the others had played some kind of game to see who would buy dinner. Poor Izuru ended up the loser, and the others had encouraged the kids to eat as much as they wanted. He acted upset, but Izuru didn't mind in the least. The kids were good at lightening all of their moods.

Sighing, Zangetsu raised his hand to his face. His form was starting to fade, almost unnoticeable. Soon, he would have to return to his sword form to rest and regain his energy. He couldn't risk taking any from Ichigo right now. He sighed heavily, allowing his eyes to slip closed.

It could've been a few minutes or a few hours, he wasn't sure, but once he opened his eyes again, he found Ichigo curled up on his lap and Shiro leaning against him, both fast asleep. Rangiku and Momo had both apparently left, leaving Rukia, Renji, Shuhei, and Izuru. The four were talking quietly as to not disturb them, and the tavern was mostly empty.

He looked back down at the two boys, allowing a slight smile to come to his lips. It surprised him that this didn't feel strange to him or foreign. All Zanpakto had a connection with their wielders, some good, some bad. His connection with Ichigo, though it hadn't always been strong, was always good. He cared for the boy, and the boy relied and trusted him in return. He always imagined it to be similar to the feeling between a father and son. The father wanted to see his son safe and happy, but still growing strong enough to stand on his own two feet, where the son trusted his father to guide him and help him achieve his place in the world

Shiro's relationship with him was different, yet much the same. The hollow was a handful, that was true, but he actually was somewhat good natured. Everyone disagreed, but they didn't know the truth about the hollow like he did. Shiro, like him, actually cared about Ichigo. His true instinct was not to take control of Ichigo, as he usually preached. It was to push his King and make him stronger. It was to make sure his King survived. If Shiro had to find a way to sacrifice himself to save Ichigo, he would do it. But he never wanted Ichigo to know. Personally, Zangetsu believed Ichigo would benefit more if the two would work together, but Shiro insisted otherwise.

"Zangetsu?" He raised his head, looking at Rukia. "We should head back and get them to bed." Zangetsu nodded his agreement and stood, shifting Ichigo into his arms carefully. Rukia took Shiro, who fussed slightly, but calmed quickly.

"Rukia, I must warn you, I will not be able to stay in my manifested form much longer. A Zanpakto has their own energy, but usually draws from their wielder to sustain their form for longer periods of time. But with his current state, I can't risk drawing from Ichigo. I will need to rest for a bit, after today." Rukia nodded her understanding, frowning slightly.

"I understand. But Renji and I were assigned a mission in the world of the living. We'll be gone for a few days. So, whose going to watch them?"

"I suppose it will have to be handled in the morning. Let's just worry about getting through tonight without them causing anymore problems."

* * *

"How come ZanZan can't watch us?" Ichigo whined, raising his arms as Renji slid the black kimono onto the boy. Shiro snickered and muttered something about 'King in a dress', which Ichigo countered with a light shove, which ended in the two of them wrestling on the floor. Renji huffed, pulling the two apart easily, before changing Shiro into the white kimono with black trim.

"Sorry, but Zangetsu's resting right now, and he'll have to rest for awhile. We're just going to have to find someone else to keep an eye on you." Shiro's gold on black eyes looked up at Renji, his eyes lighting up slightly.

"What about Shuhei? I liked him!" Renji blinked slowly, humming in thought. They were good friends, but would Shuhei agree? It was worth a try. After all, he didn't seem to mind the kids too much yesterday.

"Well, alright then. We'll ask Shuhei."

* * *

"You want me to...what?"

Renji sighed heavily, watching the two kids run around the lieutenants office like lunatics, examining everything curiously. "Look, I know its sudden and all, but we don't have a lot of people we can ask here. Rukia and I have to go to the world of the living for a few days, and Zangetsu can't keep up his manifested form. It'll only be for a few days. Besides, they like you."

Shuhei stared blankly, glancing at the kids that had made their way to his desk, and were now lying beneath it, whispering secretively. "What do I do if something comes up? I'm not just the lieutenant right now Renji, I'm acting Captain too."

"If its nothing dangerous, take them with you! If it is dangerous, leave them with Izuru or Rangiku. They'll be good, won't you two?"

"Yeah!" Both boys chirped in unison, looking up at Shuhei with grins on their faces. Renji grinned himself, patting Shuhei on the shoulder.

"Alright, hear that? Its all settled! Now I have to get going!" Renji was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Shuhei to stare where he once stood.

"When did I actually agree?" he muttered, sighing heavily. He turned back towards his desk, raising an eyebrow at the orange haired boy that now sat on his desk. "What are you doing?"

Ichigo smiled sheepishly, rubbing his hands together. "I have to make sure Shiro can't get me." Shiro was currently trying to climb up to Ichigo, not having noticed the office chair yet. Shuhei sighed, chuckling quietly; he lifted Ichigo onto his shoulders, much to Shiro's annoyance.

"Not fair!" the hollow whined, gripping the lieutenant's shirt and attempting to pull himself up, much to Shuhei's amusement. He wasn't doing half bad either. Ichigo giggled, grinning as his other attempted to reach him.

"Uh, is this a bad time?"

Shuhei glanced up, silently cursing his luck. Frankly, he didn't want anyone seeing him right now! He let out a heavy sigh, lowering Ichigo down from his shoulder, watching as the boy grabbed his white copy's arm and dragged him over by the lieutenant's desk. He could feel Izuru's eyes boring into him, questioning and amused.

"Shuhei, are you...babysitting?" Shuhei fought the urge to slam his head against the wall.

"Of course not. Rukia and Renji were sent to the world of the living for a few days, and Zangetsu was having trouble sustaining his form, so he went to rest. I just decided to make sure these two didn't cause anymore problems." Izuru chuckled at his friend's explanation.

"That's babysitting." Shuhei snorted softly, muttering under his breath. "But there's nothing wrong with that. Does it embarrass you?"

"I have a soft spot for kids. And as big of a pain as these two are, I think I'm getting attached. I don't need all of Soul Society finding out. Get it?" Izuru gave a slight smile, watching as Shiro pushed Ichigo around in Shuhei's office chair. At least they were occupied for now.

"I get it. I won't ruin your tough guy image. Your secret is safe with me." Shuhei nodded his approval, raising an eyebrow at Ichigo's squeal of delight when Shiro began to spin the chair around quickly. There were so many things from the child that no one would expect out of Ichigo Kurosaki. Then again, the same could be said for the hollow half of him. Shiro didn't act like the blood thirsty inner hollow that he had heard of from Rukia and Renji. He acted as if he really was Ichigo's sibling, just another human child, minus his appearance.

The moment of calm soon came to an end, of course. Shiro had spun the chair too hard, which resulted in Ichigo falling and sliding across the carpeted floor. Shuhei and Izuru both watched, eyes somewhat wide and bodies tense as the boy slowly sat up, his eyes beginning to water and lip quivering.

"P-Please don't..." Shuhei covered his ears as the boy let out a wail, large tears falling down his face and sobs wracking his small body. "H-Hey, don't cry! Its alright!"

The two lieutenants rushed over, examining the small rug burn on the child's leg. Nothing too bad, but it would hurt for a few days. But the injury was the least of their worries. Ichigo continued to sob. Loudly.

"What do we do?" Izuru asked, glancing at Shuhei. He didn't know the first thing about taking care of kids.

"We gotta get him to stop crying!" he hissed, eyeing the five year old warily.

"What is going on here?"

The two lieutenants tensed at the voice, both jumping up and looking at the doorway. "C-Captain Komamura!" Izuru glanced back at the still crying child, then at Shuhei, before looking back at the captain. His dog ears were twitching wildly, and he stared down at Ichigo with a strange look.

"Why is he crying?"

Shuhei swallowed thickly. "He fell, Captain. Its just a small scrape, nothing major. But I don't know how to make him stop crying."

"Ooh, I know! Shu!" Shuhei looked over at the albino boy who was looking Ichigo over curiously. "Last time he fell, Rukia kissed his cut better, and he stopped crying! Kiss it better Shu!"

Shuhei could feel his eye twitch. "No way! I'm not-"

"Lieutenant Hisagi." Shuhei's eyes widened slightly. He turned slightly to meet Komamura's narrowed gaze, his fangs slightly bared. "I do hate to hear children cry."

A chill went down the lieutenant's spine, and he cursed the snickering Izuru that stood behind him. Damn his luck. "Y-Yes sir," he muttered, looking at Ichigo and kneeling beside him. He kissed the injury lightly, somewhat relieved when the sobs died down to little hiccups and the child tried to dry his eyes. It was better than before, at least.

"Was that so bad?" Izuru covered his mouth when Shuhei sent him a wicked glare. Komamura walked into the office, looking at the two curiously.

"So, this is Ichigo and his hollow. I heard about what the Arrancar did to them, but it was somewhat hard to believe. I can see now that it was true." Ichigo looked up at the Captain, eyes wide.

"Big doggie," he mumbled, blinking slowly. Shuhei and Izuru looked alarm, ready to reprimand the boy, but Komamura raised his hand to stop them.

"Its alright. He's just a child, there's no need to get defensive for me." Shiro seemed less impressed than Ichigo, but still, he seemed intimidated by the Captain's size, if nothing else. "Neither of you have anything to fear from me. Don't worry."

The two nodded slowly, Ichigo smiling and Shiro waving slowly. Komamura seemed slightly amused by the two. "I apologize for barging in, Shuhei. But please, try and keep them from crying again." Shuhei nodded his agreement, rubbing his face tiredly. "Good. I'll be going."

They watched the Captain leave. "Bye doggie!" Ichigo called, waving at the oversized captain. Izuru and Shuhei stared a moment before breaking out into laughter. It happened so little, it felt nice to do. Shiro watched the two, cocking his head slightly.

"Shu?" Shuhei looked down at the two, raising an eyebrow, finally coming down from his laughter. "We're hungry." Shuhei sighed heavily, looking at the unfinished work on his desk. He had a feeling that this was going to be a long few days.

* * *

There was the first chapter! I hope you all liked it! Now don't be afraid to hit that review button, I need the critique!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all so much for the reviews/favs/follows! I really appreciate it all! 3 It pushed me to get this chapter up pretty quick! Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"What's going on? Why are you out here and where are the kids?" Izuru looked guilty and sheepish, much to Shuhei's suspicion. This couldn't be good. "Izuru?"

"Well, you see...that is, uh..."

Shuhei stared blankly, dropping the bags that held their lunch next to the door. He moved to push the door open, but it didn't budge. Scowling, he tried again with no success. "What's going on?"

"They...locked me out." Shuhei frowned, looking at his friend. They locked him out? Two kids had outsmarted him, a lieutenant, into going outside, and then locked the door behind him? The little monsters. Izuru seemed embarrassed.

"...How?"

Izuru rubbed his neck, looking away. "They wanted to play hide and seek, but when I found Shiro, he threw a tantrum, took my sword and threw it out the door. When I went to get it, they locked me out." Shuhei raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"You deserved that then."

Izuru looked stunned. "What?"

"When you play hide and seek with a kid, you don't find them, even if you know where they are. You look around them. The kid always wins. Everyone knows that." Shuhei snickered at the look on Izuru's face.

"Well, I didn't! Don't you have a key or something so we can get back in?" Shuhei waved his hand, pulling out a key and unlocking the door to his office, pushing it open. And he stared.

His office was a mess! Wait, where the hell did they get crayons from!? Yachiru, undoubtedly. She had a tendency to hide things in the other lieutenants' offices. But that was a story for another time. Shuhei swallowed thickly at the drawings and scribbles that covered his walls. Ichigo looked back, a large smile on his face.

"Do you like them Shu? Ain't they pretty?" Shuhei could only stare. Izuru peeked over his shoulder, eyes going wide. "What's wrong? Are you mad that we locked the door?"

"I, uh...they're very nice, but...why did you color on the walls?" he asked lamely, rubbing his neck. He just didn't have the heart to yell at the kids. They seemed happy enough, and proud of their work. Shiro grinned, a grin truly worthy of a hollow.

"'Cause we ran out of paper, silly!" he laughed, pointing at the papers littered across Shuhei's desk. The gears began to turn, and Shuhei's eyes widened in panic. He rushed over to his desk, looking over all the paper work. They were all important documents and reports that he needed to turn over to the other captains and lieutenants. A few were even for Yamamoto himself, and it wasn't like he had the time to redo them. But was he really willing to turn them in with the little drawings that littered them?

"Izuru."

Izuru stiffened slightly, looking at Shuhei warily. This was all too funny, but he would wait until he was far away from the other lieutenant's wrath before he laughed about it. "Yeah?"

"Remind me to never let you babysit again."

* * *

Shuhei had finally gotten the kids to settle down long enough to eat, which kept them quiet for the moment, thankfully. Izuru had promised to return later and clean up Shuhei's office for him, much to his satisfaction, but it didn't take care of the reports he would soon have to deliver. What a mess this was. He was sure some of the Captain would find humor in it, but a few of them, like Byakuya and Yamamoto...he wasn't so sure.

"_Hehehe! And you all laughed at me for caring for that baby before! Trust me, partner, pay back's gonna be a real bitch!_" Shuhei rubbed his face, letting out a frustrated groan. Kazeshini.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you!" he hissed, glancing at the kids that looked at him curiously. Of course, to them, it sounded as if he was talking to himself.

"Shu? Are you okay?" Shiro asked, nibbling on one of his cookies. The lieutenant nodded slightly, running a hand through his hair.

"Just fine," he muttered. Kazeshini was still cackling, the laughter echoing through his head and making his head throb. Damn it all! Just as he was about to curse the Zanpakto spirit to the deepest pits of hell, he heard a familiar noise that drew his attention. A Hell butterfly drifted in, landing on his desk.

"Urgent! A large group of hollows have made it into the Seiretei! All available squads are to find and kill on sight!" Shuhei jumped up quickly, grabbing his sword, before pausing to look at Shiro and Ichigo. They seemed startled and somewhat unsettled.

"What do I do?" he muttered. All the other Soul Reapers would be out hunting the hollows. There was no one to leave them with and he couldn't leave them alone!

Then an idea struck. Oh, sweet revenge. Closing his eyes, he focused carefully, reaching for the reiatsu that belonged to his Zanpakto. He found it easily enough and latched on to it, dragging the spirit free and manifesting him into the room, a smug smirk on his face.

"What's the big idea!? And why are you looking at me like that?" Kazeshini narrowed his eyes, eyeing his master warily. "Don't we have some hollows to kill?"

"I have some hollows to kill. They're probably just small fry, and I can handle it without using Shikai. But I need someone to watch them." He motioned to the two boys that were staring at Kazeshini with interest, and in Ichigo's case, a little bit of fear. The Zanpakto spirit looked like some creepy shadow!

"Huh? What does that have to do with me?" the Zanpakto looked at Shuhei blankly, before realization dawned on him. "Wait! There's no way in hell you're gonna drop these brats on me!"

"All you have to do is keep them in this room! I just need someone here, in case a hollow comes around!" Shuhei narrowed his eyes in frustration. "It won't take me long. And if a hollow does come by, you have my permission to tear them apart. That's what you love to do, right?" Kazeshini seemed to consider this, glancing back at the two, who were now whispering to one another and glancing at the Zanpakto curiously.

"Tch. Fine! But you'd better make it quick." Shuhei nodded, glancing at Ichigo and Shiro.

"This is Kazeshini, my Zanpakto. He's going to watch you while I take care of the monsters, alright?" The two nodded hesitantly. "Good." And with that, he was gone.

He looked around, eyes narrowing. It was chaos out here! There were so many hollows, more than he expected. Why hadn't they been alerted before they made into the Soul Society!? More than that, this had been the second time in a week that hollows had made it this far. First, that strange Arrancar, and now these guys? Something was wrong. But for now, he would have to focus on the hollows.

* * *

"A Zanpakto? So you're like ZanZan, right?" Shiro eyed Kazeshini, looking thoughtful. The Zanpakto tilted his head slightly.

"Who the hell is ZanZan?" he asked, watching the two warily. He didn't trust kids, not at all. It didn't help that he became attached so easily...curse his master for having such a soft spot for brats!

"He's over there!" Kazeshini followed the orange-haired child's finger to the sword that leaned against the wall in the corner. Oh, that ZanZan. He cackled to himself at the nickname.

"Yeah, I guess you could say we're alike. Not in power and not in personality, but we are weapons," he explained, examining the sword. Nah. He'd choose his form any day. His was way more fun than just swinging around some oversized sword.

"Yeah, you're right." Shiro agreed, looking at Ichigo.

"Especially about your power." Ichigo met Shiro's gaze, a grin coming to his face.

"ZanZan's better!" they said simultaneously, both giggling. Kazeshini blinked, gritting his teeth together.

"Now wait just a damn minute! I bet I could take that sword of yours any day!" Shiro and Ichigo stared, apparently disbelieving. "What's with those looks? Do you see these?" He held up his weapons, the chain rattling at the movement. "I have more speed and double the weapons! That sword of yours is too slow for me!"

"ZanZan's really fast! He could take ya!" Shiro exclaimed, pointing at Kazeshini accusingly. "And if he couldn't take ya out with that sword, then he'd just go Bankai on ya! Where's your Bankai, huh!?" Kazeshini stared, mouth opening and closing, like a fish out of water. He had no counter for that one. Man, this kid had balls. He liked him already.

The building suddenly shook, and a howl echoed from outside. Kazeshini paused, a grin coming to his face. Hollows. Shuhei did say that if they got close, he could have at them. But on the other hand...the structure was creaking with the weight of the hollow, or hollows, and it sounded like the roof would give at any second. With a grunt, Kazeshini hurried over to the boys, allowing Shiro to cling to him, the boy's arms wrapped around his neck, and scooping Ichigo into one of his arms, before rushing out of the building. Just in time too. The structure finally collapsed under the weight of four, large hollows.

"Z-ZanZan!" Ichigo whimpered; the sword had been left in the building. Shiro stared as well, before looking at Kazeshini, his voice unusually soft and unsure.

"He'll be okay, right?" he asked meekly.

"You don't have to worry about your Zanpakto. After all, he's in his sword form. So long as you two stay safe, there's nothing to worry about." The two seemed comforted by that.

A hollow howled from above them, its yellow, glowing eyes landing on them; it swooped down, letting out an inhumane roar as Kazeshini's blade sliced through its chest, the second blade moving to cut right through its mask. It disappeared in a flurry of ash. But when one disappeared, there were three more to take its place. It seemed awfully organized for some random hollow invasion. Someone was pulling their strings.

Kazeshini moved away from the hoard of hollows, towards one of the entrances that led to the underground passages. They'd probably be safer there. He doubted any of these hollows would have the brains to get into there.

"Just go down there, not too far. Hang around the door, and I'll come and get you when I'm done. But whatever you do, don't come out!" The Zanpakto nudged the two into the passage, shutting the door behind them, and turning to face the hoard of hollows that were pursuing them. With a grin, he raised his weapons, eyes narrowing in delight. "Reap."

* * *

"I don't like it down here, Shi-nii...it's too dark." Shiro looked down at his look alike, a reassuring smile on his face.

"But it beats bein' up there with all those monsters, right? Besides, Shu will come after us if his Zanpakto doesn't. And ZanZan will, if they can't. So we'll be fine, King. You'll see." The albino sat beside his other half, watching the water that flowed by.

"I know. But that doesn't make it any brighter down here!" Ichigo whined, glancing at his twin. He really had a bad feeling. His tummy was twisting, and he was feeling jittery. "Um, Shi-nii...?"

"Shh." Ichigo frowned, watching his twin. He was looking down the corridor out of the corner of his eye, as if looking for something. He gripped Shiro's arm loosely, swallowing thickly. There was a strange sound, like claws scraping against pavement and an animal-like hiss. Shiro gripped Ichigo's hand and stood slowly. Then came the howl. The howl of a hollow.

It was a dog-like hollow, its build and size like that of a wolf. Its glowing, green eyes landed on them, and its fangs bared. "You don't look like Soul Reapers," it hissed, taking a few steps closer to the two. Shiro put his arm in front of Ichigo and backed away from the hollow. "But that's alright. It just makes devouring you even easier!"

Shiro's eyes widened when the monster lunged at them; it easily knocked him away, almost into the water, and pinned Ichigo to the ground, snapping and trying to sink its fangs into his flesh. Ichigo was managing to hold him back, somehow, but he wasn't able to hold off all of the attacks. His shoulder and a small cut on his neck was seeping blood out and onto the ground. That only seemed to encourage the monster.

"I-Ichi!" Shiro called out, eyes wide with fear. The orange-haired boy was crying out in pain, begging for help, begging for the monster to get away from him. Shiro felt his blood boil with anger. No one hurt Ichigo! Especially not when he was around!

Instinct. The word echoed in his head. He raised his hand slowly, his eyes gleaming in the darkness, his index and middle finger pointing out towards the hollow. His instinct. He could feel energy gathering at his fingertips. The energy became visible, glowing red. The hollow stopped its onslaught on Ichigo to stare at the pale boy. What was his instinct? Well that was...

"A cero...!? You're one of us!?" the hollow barked out, stepping closer to the pale boy. "What are you doing, attacking your own kind!?" Those eyes held fear. The power the small boy possessed, the power gathering around him...it was terrifying.

"I am...following my instinct...to protect Ichigo, at any cost!" His voice was watery, distorted for a moment, before a red beam fired from his fingertips, enveloping and disintegrating the hollow into nothing.

Ichigo backed away quickly, eyes wide as the blast blew through the ground above them, causing quite the explosion. Thankfully, nothing collapsed down on them. For now. "Shi-nii!" Ichigo rushed over to the other, who was breathing hard, his eyes half lidded, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Shi-nii? Are you okay?"

Shiro continued to breathe heavily. His small body was shaking, exhausted, and he felt hot. He felt like he was gonna be sick. He sunk down to the ground, eyes slipping closed. Ichigo bit his lip worriedly.

"Someone help," he whispered, gripping Shiro's arm lightly. He was starting to feel light headed himself. His shoulder stung and continued to bleed from where the hollow had taken a bite out of him. Tears began to fall from his eyes, the fear and pain finally catching up to him. He just wanted someone to help, wanted someone to tell him that Shiro would be okay. "ZanZan! Z-Zangetsu!" he cried, gripping his shoulder, a small sob escaping him.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo's eyes widened, turning to find who the voice belonged to. He didn't ever remember being so relieved in his life. "ZanZan," he hiccuped, standing shakily, and reaching for the spirit. "Y-You came..."

"I will always be there, when you call my name, Ichigo," Zangetsu reassured the boy, grabbing him gently and examining his injury. It was deep and bleeding profusely. He would have to get him to Squad 4 as soon as possible. "What happened here?"

"A monster attacked, and Shi-nii fired this red light, and BOOM! There was a loud explosion and the monster was gone!" Ichigo waved his hands around wildly in way of explanation. Zangetsu seemed alarmed, looking at Shiro. The boy seemed to be struggling in catching his breath, his body was shaking, and a sweat had broken out over his face. No, this wasn't good at all. "Will Shi-nii be okay, ZanZan?"

Zangetsu just didn't have the heart to say he wasn't really sure, so he nodded instead, praying he would be right. He picked the pale boy up quickly, noting that his eyes were dilated with pain and exhaustion, before jumping through the hole that the boy had made in his attack.

Shuhei and Izuru had already made it to the scene of the explosion, followed shortly after by Kazeshini, Rangiku, and Toshiro. Shuhei froze, looking at the two boys' condition, before leveling Kazeshini with a hard stare. The Zanpakto actually looked guilty.

"What happened? And what was that explosion?" Toshiro demanded, looking at the two boys cradled in Zangetsu's arms. He had heard rumors of Ichigo and his hollow having turned to children, but seeing it was...something else.

"I will explain later. I must get them to Squad 4 before their conditions worsen." Zangetsu looked down at the two, a look of worry coming to his features. Shiro had passed out, his breathing still heavy, and his face now flushed with fever. Ichigo seemed tired, and was gripping his shoulder, whimpering softly at the throbbing pain. He was still bleeding.

"I'll go on ahead and have Squad 4 get prepared for them!" Izuru called, already disappearing into the distance. Rangiku looked at Toshiro.

"What now, Captain?" Toshiro looked at his lieutenant, before turning to stare at the boys again.

"We go with them. This is a story I would like to hear."

"Look, I'm..." Kazeshini paused, dreading his next words. He loathed these words! "I'm sorry! Alright, I said it! I thought they'd be safer there! And there were so many of those damn hollows-"

Shuhei raised a hand, silencing his rambling Zanpakto. The fact that he had actually apologized was good enough for him. And anyway, he accepted part of the blame himself, for ever leaving the two during such a wide scale attack. Zangetsu seemed understanding enough, though.

"Pinning blame will not solve anything for anyone. There is no need to apologize."

"Enough," Shuhei glanced between the two Zanpakto, his eyes narrowing slightly. "We have to hurry."

* * *

Toshiro stared, listening to the story in its entirety. From the strange Arrancar's appearance, to the boys being chibified and separated from one another, and finally, to the incident that landed the two boys in Unohana's personal care. He was still shocked to hear that the explosion that had drawn all their attention had been caused by that pale child that he had seen. But it also made him realize just how dire the situation concerning him was.

"He just doesn't have the spirit energy to be wasting right now for anything, not even a simple Cero. It could potentially kill him. And if he dies, Ichigo will be affected as well, in the long run. They are still one soul, after all."

Everyone became quiet and somber at that. Hollow or not, the boy was just a kid, and not bad at all. He had done nothing to attempt harm. No one would want to see him die.

"I know that a lot of you believe that Shiro is just a blood-thirsty hollow, or at least, he was before this transformation. But even then, it wasn't true." Zangetsu leveled them all with a stare.

"Then what is his purpose? My understanding was that Inner Hollow's have one goal, and that is to take over the host body for their own use. Was that incorrect?" Toshiro frowned, watching the Zanpakto curiously. He was always happy to learn more about those he cared for (even if he would never admit to Ichigo being a friend).

"Usually, that is the case. That is usually their instinct. However, Shiro's case is different. He was born from Ichigo's need and desire to protect. Shiro's true instinct is to protect Ichigo, even if it costs him his own life. He pushes, threatens, and drives Ichigo to get stronger, and when a battle gets too much for Ichigo, he forces himself into control, to save him. But he has never told Ichigo this. He believes it will be a hindrance to him, to learn the truth. So, he plays the role of a regular Inner Hollow." Zangetsu watched the others, waiting for a reaction.

"So in his battle against that Bount back then, when I saw that mask appearing on his face...?" Izuru frowned, thinking back to that time, when he had saved the teen.

"Ichigo had been pressed to his limit, was too close to death, so Shiro took control." Zangetsu confirmed, looking towards the room that held the two boys. He hoped to get word soon.

"To think that the bond between a Soul Reaper and hollow can actually be...caring, it's interesting. We always fight the hollows without thinking of what they've been through or what they're thinking." Toshiro closed his eyes, frowning slightly.

"But we only fight hollows that are attacking innocent people. It's not as if we go out hunting them, Captain. Cheer up! Stop being so depressing!" Toshiro twitched slightly at his lieutenant.

But before he could say anything, Unohana stepped out, a small frown on her face. Zangetsu tensed slightly at the look. "I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

* * *

Yes...yes, I did just do a cliffhanger! Don't hate me! XD I hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, the next chapter! Frankly, this one is a little dull, compared to the others, but its just setting up for the next chapter. Hopefully no one's too disappointed! ^^;

* * *

"Bad news?" Zangetsu's eyes slipped close, preparing himself. Unohana nodded, frowning grimly.

"There is some good news as well. Ichigo is fine. His injuries are already mostly healed, but not by my doing. Perhaps you understand, Zangetsu?" Zangetsu's eyes opened, narrowing slightly. Shiro's instant regeneration.

"Yes. Whereas they are not one body any longer, they are still one soul. I'm sure Shiro, even in his condition, put Ichigo ahead of himself and used his ability of instant regeneration to heal him. However, that consumes even more spiritual energy that he cannot afford to waste."

Everyone frowned, looking towards the room that held the two boys. "So what will become of Shiro?" Toshiro asked, looking at his fellow captain.

"Its hard to say right now. He is running a dangerously high fever, and he's not done with Ichigo. He still has injuries, and its obvious that Shiro's struggling to heal them all. The process is slow, and my own kido is ineffective while his hollow powers are working. Its too much strain for him. If we can't stop him from using his powers, he will disappear completely."

"I will try to stop him." They all turned their attention to Zangetsu, curious. "They still exist as you know them in their Inner World, though they have separated from each other. I can enter Shiro's Inner World and try and talk some sense into him."

"Do you think you can convince him to stop?" Shuhei frowned, eyes holding doubt. "You said it was his instinct to protect Ichigo. Can you really persuade him to go against his own instincts?"

"I do not know for sure. But it is necessary for me to try. Captain Unohana, please watch them. I will return soon."

* * *

Zangetsu looked around carefully, searching for Shiro among the crumbling skyscrapers. The sky was dark, clouds rolling closer, lightning flashing off in the distance, followed by roars of thunder. Shiro was fading, and fast. If Zangetsu didn't find him soon, the hollow would completely disappear.

It wasn't too hard to catch sight of the pale teen; he sat on one of the skyscrapers that remained, one leg dangling off the edge, while the other was pulled to his chest, his arm resting comfortably. His white Zangetsu lay beside him. It was hardly the picture of someone who was about to die.

"Shiro." Gold on black eyes glanced over his shoulder, a grin, weaker than his usual one, coming to his face. He looked paler than normal, and sweat soaked his brow. He seemed to be in bad shape.

"Come to visit the King's horse, eh, Zangetsu?" The hollow looked away, his eyes slipping shut. His voice was the watery, distorted voice that Zangetsu was more familiar with, as compared to his child self.

"Shiro, you must stop using your powers. Ichigo's wounds are not fatal. Squad 4 can handle them on their own. But if you continue, you will spend the rest of your energy and disappear. Do you honestly want that?" Shiro looked up at Zangetsu, the only being that had ever cared for him. Not that he gave anyone reason to care beforehand. But it was just better that way.

"It pisses me off, Zangetsu. I was right there, and I couldn't do anything to protect him. Not until after he got hurt." Shiro snorted, eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't have control of myself...over this brat that I turned into. All I can do is sit back and watch things play out."

"That is no fault of yours. You have to be patient and conserve your energy. Stop trying to force control and stop using your powers. Surely you realize that if you die, it will have a negative affect on Ichigo. Do you want that?" Zangetsu watched the hollow, frowning at that insane laughter.

"Because it would bother King so much? Because he would lose my power? Just what affect would it have on him!? Zangetsu!?" Zangetsu sighed, eyes narrowing at the hollow. A nearby skyscraper crumbled beside them, disappearing into the dark abyss below.

"You are a part of his soul. If you die, he loses a piece of himself, and no one can be strong when they are incomplete." And then he felt it. Water, falling from the sky. It started off slow, just a few sprinkles, until it turned into an all out downpour. Rain, representing sadness. But this wasn't Ichigo's mind. It was Shiro's now separate from his other half. Shiro was sad.

"So...what you're saying, is that I need to stay alive, just so he can stay strong, just so he can use my power?" Shiro's head lowered, his eyes narrowed slightly and fists clenched at his side.

"Does that bother you? Is that not the very image you created? You would rather have Ichigo hate you, have everyone see you as a dangerous monster than let them know that all you really want is to protect Ichigo. But it tears at you. It makes you feel alone and unwanted, but you are just a hollow. Hollow's are meant to be destroyed. No one could possibly care about a hollow. So why is it bothering you, Shiro?"

"What are you going on about!? Are you trying to-"

"I can hear all of your thoughts, Shiro. I am not just Ichigo's Zanpakto, I am yours. We are all a part of one another, and as such, your thoughts are open to me." Shiro gritted his teeth, snatching his sword up and lunging at the Zanpakto. Zangetsu blocked him easily, his own sword colliding against the albino's. Shiro pushed, trying to knock Zangetsu back, to no avail. They locked eyes; the pain that the hollow had always suppressed so easily was now bared before him, so easy to see. "Shiro, listen to me. Reel in your powers, save your strength and allow your soul to heal. I promise you, you will see that you are not alone or unwanted."

The hollow growled quietly, watching the Zanpakto for any sign of trickery, but all he saw was sincerity and determination. Reluctantly, he pulled his sword away, pulling his spirit energy back in as he was ordered. The buildings around them didn't repair themselves, but they stopped crumbling away, much to Zangetsu's relief. The hollow would have some healing to do. And the rain was still falling.

"There are people out there, worried about you."

"Che, don't lie to me, Zangetsu." Those mocking eyes glanced at him, that infamous grin returning to his face, and the rain lessened. "Though, I suppose its a nice thought. Thanks anyway."

"At least that Arrancar didn't take away your stubborn nature."

* * *

"It seems you were successful." Zangetsu nodded to Toshiro, looking down at the two boys. Unohana was finishing Shiro's job on Ichigo's injuries, while Isane did her best to make Shiro comfortable. The boy still seemed to be plagued with fever.

"He should be okay, Zangetsu. It seems you stopped him, just in time." Unohana looked at Zangetsu, a soft smile on her face. The Zanpakto nodded, moving over to examine Ichigo. His wounds were closed and he didn't seem to be in pain.

"Just barely. His Inner World was crumbling away, and as usual, he was being rather stubborn. I barely got through to him." Zangetsu let out a weary sigh. "But that is his nature."

"It sounds like he has more in common with Ichigo than just his looks," Izuru chuckled softly. At least they knew that both children would be okay.

"Still...the amount of power that came from him, even in his condition, it's terrifying. Not surprising, considering he was born from Ichigo." Shuhei watched the two, a new found respect for the two reflecting in his eyes. For a moment, Zangetsu looked proud, and he was. His wielder always made him proud.

"Truth be told, Ichigo hasn't even reached his full potential yet. He's still just a child. And I don't believe he'll ever reach it, unless Shiro and him learn to accept one another and work together instead of fighting against each other." The lieutenants and Captains stared, glancing at Ichigo with surprise. Honestly, how much stronger could the boy possibly get?

"Then we should be sure to keep on their good side." They all agreed.

* * *

It took an entire week for Shiro's fever to break, and another three days for him to stay awake for any length of time. Ichigo and Zangetsu stayed the entire time, and to their surprise, Shuhei and Izuru made sure to stop by everyday, just to check on the boy's condition. Once Rukia and Renji heard what had happened in their absence, they too stayed around, until duty pulled them away. Even a few of the Captains (Toshiro, Shunsui, Ukitake, and Komamura) had stopped by once or twice.

Ichigo had behaved himself, letting Shiro get his rest, though by his constant fidgeting, it was painfully obvious that he was becoming bored. He was so happy when Shiro finally woke up. He had immediately climbed beside him and clung to his look-alike, a grin lighting up his face.

"Shi-nii! Are you okay, Shi-nii?" Shiro looked around groggily, his tired eyes taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. Finally, he wrapped an arm loosely around his twin, his eyes slipping closed once again.

"Uh-huh," he mumbled sleepily. Ichigo watched, a frown coming to his face. Would Shiro just fall back to sleep? "I'm hungry..."

"Shiro, can you stay awake? If so, we'll get you something to eat." Zangetsu watched him, relaxing slightly when the boy's eyes fluttered open again. He stared at Zangetsu for a moment before nodding his head. "Alright. I'll have someone get something for you." The Zanpakto stepped out of the room, leaving Shiro and Ichigo alone.

Ichigo watched his twin for a moment before laying beside him, gripping the albino's arm lightly. "I was scared you wouldn't wake up, Shi-nii...you were sleeping for so long..."

Shiro glanced over, his eyelids drooping slightly. "I didn't mean to scare ya, King...I just feel really sleepy, is all."

"They said you were really sick for awhile. You had a fever and stuff. But you're awake now, so I know you'll be okay." Brown eyes looked up into gold. For a moment, voices echoed through the room, unfamiliar to the two boys.

"_Why would you try so hard to protect me?_"

"_Would Your Majesty bother listenin' if I told you?_"

"_I'm being serious here! Damn hollow..._"

"_Tch. Stupid King..._"

The two quickly looked away from one another, brows furrowing in confusion. "Did you hear that? Where is it coming from?" Ichigo asked softly, looking around the room warily. It was spooky...

"I heard it, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from..." Shiro sat up slowly, his hand gripping Ichigo's lightly. "Uhm...maybe we should leave..."

"Shi-nii...are you afraid?"

Shiro's eyes narrowed slightly and the boy puffed out his chest slightly. "'Course not! I don't get 'fraid!" Ichigo smiled slightly, his eyes shining with amusement. "What's that look for?"

"But what if it was a ghost or a monster? You wouldn't get afraid?

"...Monsters don't scare me. I can take 'em!" Ichigo giggled, sitting up beside Shiro.

"But what about ghosts?" Ichigo laughed at the distasteful look that was directed at him. "Its okay Shi-nii! I'm not afraid of ghosts, but I'm not really a fan of monsters...everyone's afraid of something!" Shiro let out a soft groan, looking around the room warily. He didn't hear the voices anymore, but still...

"Ya know what, Ichi? I have an idea." Ichigo cocked his head slightly, humming softly. "You don't like monsters, so I'll keep ya safe from them. But you have to keep me safe from the ghosts, 'kay?" Ichigo looked thoughtful, before nodding in agreement.

"Alright!"

"You shouldn't be trying to get up yet, Shiro." Shiro glanced towards the door. Unohana walked in, followed by Zangetsu, holding a small bowl of soup. She put the bowl down on a nearby stand, shifting the boy's pillows so that he could sit up. "Now, please lay back down, Shiro."

Shiro's eyes widened slightly, a chill running down his spine. This lady was scary! He quickly obeyed, lying back against the pillows, blinking when she handed him the bowl. And now, she seemed so sweet again. The pale boy huffed, looking down at the bowl, before he slowly began to eat. The warm broth felt good against his dry throat. It made him realize how thirsty he was.

"Don't worry, I brought you some water too," the Captain smiled slightly, handing the boy the glass. He downed the water quickly, seeming relieved. "If you can handle the soup without your stomach acting up, we'll get you something better later on. How do you feel right now?"

Shiro looked down at his soup, slurping it quietly, making Ichigo snicker. "I'm really sleepy still...but other than that, I feel okay." Zangetsu sighed softly, watching the boy sip at his soup. Frankly, he was just happy Shiro was alive. He would never forget just how close the hollow's Inner World had been from falling apart.

"When can Shiro leave here?" Ichigo asked suddenly, looking up at Unohana. The Captain smiled at the boy, shaking her head slightly.

"Not for a few days. When I see how he's doing, you'll be the first person I tell, okay?" Ichigo seemed satisfied with that, watching as his twin finished off his soup. He grinned at Shiro's curious gaze.

"Yesterday, Rukia and the other told me that when you woke up and you were able to leave, they were gonna take us somewhere real fun! But they won't say where..."

"Its a surprise, Ichigo. We can't tell you."

Rukia laughed at the whine that answered her. "Oh, stop that. It'll be worth the wait, I promise. And I see you're finally awake Shiro. How do you feel?" Shiro blinked, somewhat surprised. He never thought Rukia like him much.

"I'm okay," he mumbled, even more baffled when she ruffled his hair lightly. This was...different. He smiled slightly. "Are we really gonna go somewhere?"

"Yeah. We just got it approved, Rukia!" Rukia turned to Renji, smiling slightly at the three lieutenants. She imagined it wasn't an easy task for Renji, Shuhei, and Izuru to get the approval from Yamamoto to visit the world of the living for a day, especially with all the recent Hollow attacks, but she also knew from Byakuya's subtle hint about the Head Captain's soft spot for Yachiru that the elderly Captain had a soft spot for kids.

"Good. We'll go as soon as Shiro's clear to get out of the infirmary. So you make sure to rest a lot and get better, alright?" Shiro smiled and nodded his head quickly. Ichigo sulked.

"But he's awake! Can't we know the surprise now? Pleeeeease?" All the Soul Reapers chuckled and snickered at the pleading child. Once Ichigo returned to normal, he would never live this down.

"Ichigo." Ichigo looked at Zangetsu, still pouting. "See for yourself. Shiro's still very tired and needs his rest." The orange-haired boy glanced towards his twin, frowning at the other's drooping eyelids. "Let him get rested up, and you will get your surprise, but only when Shiro's cleared."

"Sorry, Ichi," Shiro murmured, yawning lightly. He felt so tired again. It was getting hard to stay awake. Ichigo shook his head, smiling at him, and curling up beside him.

"Its okay, Shi-nii! I'll stay right here and make sure you get to sleep plenty!" In a whisper, he added, "And make sure the ghosts don't come after you." Shiro smiled sleepily, letting his eyes slip close, and drifting off into sleep. Rukia smiled at the scene, fighting the urge to 'awe' at the two.

"We should go so he can sleep. We'll stop by tomorrow and see how he's doing." Rukia waved to Ichigo, before walking out of the room, the three lieutenants in tow. "So how did you guys convince the Head Captain to approve our day to the world of the living?"

"Actually, it wasn't hard," Izuru rubbed his neck, glancing at Renji and Shuhei. They had all been ready for a long, grueling battle for their day off, but once they had mentioned Ichigo and his hollow, it went pretty smoothly. "It turns out you were right. He does have a soft spot for kids."

"But he did give us one condition," Shuhei interrupted, Rukia's eyes landing on him, full of suspicion. "Its nothing too bad, just cautionary. He wants them in Gigais obviously. And he wants Ichigo's friends aware that they're around. He's just a little wary of Shiro, is all."

"We already told Urahara and Ichigo's other friends about what happened, so it won't be a problem. I'm sure Urahara can get us some Gigais ready for them." Rukia looked down, a frown on her face. "Hopefully we can give them a day without worrying about the Hollows..."

Inside the infirmary, Ichigo and Shiro were completely oblivious to the constant waves of Hollows that plagued the Soul Society. Though they were many, they were weak, and even the low levelled Soul Reapers were able to handle them easily. After discussing the situation, and Zangetsu's input, they came up with a theory.

The Hollows were easily manipulated by those that were stronger, that was no secret. And that Arrancar from before had drained Ichigo of nearly all spirit energy, plus his hollows. Then there was his departing words.

"_...there is still plenty of energy for me to have from your master..._"

That Arrancar had stated his motive before he vanished. He wouldn't quit until he drained Ichigo of all of his energy, until Ichigo disappeared. So it wasn't impossible that the Arrancar was sending these hollows to hunt for Ichigo so he could finish his job. But for now, Ichigo was defenseless, as was his hollow, so it was to them to keep the boys safe.

"We can ask Ichigo's friends to take care of any hollows while we take them out for some fun. Or, they can take them out and we'll handle the hollows. Either way, they'll get their day of fun." The lieutenants and Rukia nodded, with new found determination. Even if it was temporary, Ichigo and Shiro were just kids and deserved to act as such.

* * *

Ichigo sprawled out on one of the sideways skyscrapers of his Inner World, staring up at the blue sky blankly. He could feel his energy returning, slowly, but surely, which was a relief. The sooner he returned to normal, the better. Though he was sure Rukia and the others would never let him live this down. Nothing he could do now though.

He thought back to earlier that week, during the hollow attack recently, when he was nearly torn to shreds by one of the damn monsters. Ichigo could only sit back and watch as his younger self struggled against the beast, while the pale boy that was his, also younger, hollow stared in horror.

But the he felt something from the pale boy, something familiar. It was the spiritual pressure of his hollow, and not the young boy that he had become. No, it was the familiar, psychotic, chaotic hollow that Ichigo knew all too well. He was clawing his way to the surface, channelling his power through the small boy, all in an effort to save him? There had to be a catch!

So a week later, when Shiro finally woke up, Ichigo was just dying to ask what his real reason was. When their eyes locked, Ichigo felt a strange tug in his chest, a connection. So he took a chance, calling out to his hollow through his mind, hoping that there was a strong enough connection there.

"Why would you try so hard to protect me?" he asked hesitantly. At first, he thought his call didn't reach his other half, until a familiar, but tired cackle echoed through his head.

"_Would Your Majesty bother listenin' if I told ya?_" Ichigo felt his eye twitch, his fists clenching at his sides. Oh yeah, it was his hollow alright! Stupid prick! Ichigo felt like punching him in the face, but that would have to wait until later.

"I'm being serious here! Damn hollow..." He heard his hollow snort at that, seemingly amused at being able to taunt his King once more.

"_Tch. Stupid King..._"

Just like that, their eyes looked away from each other, and Ichigo felt the tug at his chest disappear all at once, like a taught rope suddenly being cut. He suddenly felt...empty and alone. But he was so used to Zangetsu and his hollow's presence inside his mind, that he imagined the sudden separation between him and Shiro would have that affect. Even if his hollow annoyed the hell out of him and tried to take him over countless times, he was still a part of Ichigo. Man, he felt so frustrated over everything! So he did what anyone would do...

He screamed loudly, stomping his feet angrily, fighting the urge to topple one of the skyscrapers. That wouldn't solve anything, but at least his little tantrum was relieving some of his frustration. At least there was no one around to see him acting like a two year old.

"Ichigo."

Or...maybe there was. Ichigo turned to look at Zangetsu, his face showing his surprise at the Zanpakto's sudden appearance. Zangetsu chuckled quietly, surprising Ichigo even more. He never remembered hearing Zangetsu laugh or chuckle before. It was different.

"I could hear you, speaking with Shiro and then you were yelling. So I come to find you throwing a childish tantrum. You act more like a child in here than you do in the real world." Ichigo scowled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Hm. Is something bothering you?"

"I just don't get that hollow! We're completely separated right now, so he could've let that hollow kill me without worrying about dying himself, right? But he fought tooth and nail to get control of that kid to protect me! I don't understand why!" Zangetsu frowned slightly at the frustrated teen. He would love to tell the teen the reason, tell him that it was because that Shiro did care for him. After all, Ichigo and Zangetsu were the only people Shiro knew before. They were his family, Zangetsu the calm father and Ichigo the stubborn brother. But he had promised he wouldn't. Not until Shiro saw it was the right action to take.

"None of us know just what will happen when you return to normal, Ichigo. If you were dead when he returned to normal, he could suffer the same fate, not being able to return to your Inner World. It was likely for his own survival more than yours." Ichigo shook his head, watching Zangetsu carefully.

"But do you know that for sure?"

Zangetsu was silent. He didn't know what to say.

"I didn't think so." Ichigo sighed heavily, sitting heavily on the skyscraper, his eyes staring down into the glass, at his reflection. What Zangetsu said made sense and it sounded like Shiro, but Ichigo had this doubt that kept eating at him. Was he wrong about his hollow. Could his hollow's personality be some act, could he simply he misunderstood?

Ichigo had been trapped in his Inner World for a little over two weeks, right? He hated it. He had no freedom! But those two weeks was nothing, compared to the length of time Shiro had been forced to stay in his Inner World. Ichigo wondered if that didn't contribute to part of his hollow's insanity. And if that were the case, Ichigo couldn't blame him. Sitting in silence, practically alone, day in and day out...Ichigo felt a little crazy himself.

"Do you think he gets lonely, Zangetsu?" The Zanpakto looked at his wielder, debating on what to say. Of course Shiro got lonely.

"Everyone feels alone at some time Ichigo."

* * *

There you have it! Told you it was pretty slow this chapter! The next one, they visit the world of the living! Just imagine them meeting Urahara and the rest of Ichigo's gang! Haha!

Feel free to drop off a review for me! :)


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